Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Hamra

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamra: $982 a month against $1,657 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Beirut, Lebanon
Hamra, Lebanon
Beirut
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,657
/mo nomad
Hamra
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$982
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Hamra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beirut and in Hamra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,657 in Beirut versus $982 in Hamra.

  • Beirut $1,657
  • Hamra $982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,643 in Beirut versus $1,583 in Hamra.

  • Beirut $2,643
  • Hamra $1,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,628 in Beirut versus $2,183 in Hamra.

  • Beirut $3,628
  • Hamra $2,183

Living in Beirut is roughly 69% more expensive than in Hamra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 22% above, Hamra is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.13 LBP 1.1M
$11.96 LBP 1.1M
1.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 LBP 6.1M
$67.7 LBP 6.1M
0.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.86 LBP 882.6K
$9.85 LBP 882.0K
0.10%
Cappuccino
$4.46 LBP 399.2K
$4.62 LBP 413.2K
-3.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 LBP 209.6K
$2.39 LBP 213.7K
-2.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 LBP 80.9K
$0.89 LBP 80.0K
1.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 LBP 456.3K
$4.94 LBP 441.9K
3.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.89 LBP 437.7K
$4.76 LBP 426.3K
2.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 LBP 180.5K
$2.02 LBP 180.4K
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.91 LBP 81.4K
$0.84 LBP 75.5K
8.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 LBP 196.6K
$2.18 LBP 194.8K
0.92%
Eggs
$3.61 LBP 323.5K
$3.60 LBP 322.2K
0.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.87 LBP 973.3K
$11.26 LBP 1.0M
-3.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.58 LBP 947.2K
$10.44 LBP 934.4K
1.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.12 LBP 1.4M
$14.67 LBP 1.3M
3.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 LBP 277.0K
$3.01 LBP 269.4K
2.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 LBP 149.2K
$1.70 LBP 152.1K
-1.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 LBP 151.9K
$1.67 LBP 149.4K
1.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 LBP 137.9K
$1.54 LBP 137.8K
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 LBP 113.1K
$1.25 LBP 112.3K
0.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 LBP 137.3K
$1.56 LBP 139.6K
-1.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 LBP 103.9K
$1.17 LBP 104.5K
-0.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 LBP 63.8K
$0.73 LBP 64.9K
-2.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.96 LBP 265.2K
$2.91 LBP 260.7K
1.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 LBP 988.5K
$10.95 LBP 979.8K
0.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 LBP 118.0K
$1.33 LBP 119.3K
-0.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 LBP 233.0K
$2.50 LBP 223.6K
4.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 LBP 136.9K
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.4 LBP 6.7M
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.04 LBP 451.2K
$5.12 LBP 458.1K
-1.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.53 LBP 2.0M
$22.80 LBP 2.0M
-1.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 LBP 93.2K
$1.09 LBP 97.9K
-4.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.3K LBP 4.8B
$53.1K LBP 4.7B
0.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K LBP 3.0B
$32.4K LBP 2.9B
2.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 LBP 18.8M
$211 LBP 18.9M
-0.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.80 LBP 2.1M
$23.94 LBP 2.1M
-0.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.87 LBP 3.4M
$38.49 LBP 3.4M
-1.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$95.9 LBP 8.6M
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.37 LBP 3.0M
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.16 LBP 909.0K
$10.03 LBP 897.7K
1.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 LBP 60.6M
$689 LBP 61.7M
-1.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K LBP 940.9M
$10.7K LBP 959.7M
-1.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.4 LBP 5.9M
$67.2 LBP 6.0M
-1.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.92 LBP 4.5M
$49.06 LBP 4.4M
1.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 LBP 12.7M
$137 LBP 12.3M
3.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 LBP 10.8M
$122 LBP 10.9M
-1.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$946 LBP 84.7M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 LBP 44.3M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,209 LBP 197.7M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,044 LBP 93.4M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,473 LBP 400.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,892 LBP 169.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beirut
Hamra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 LBP 63.6M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
11
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beirut: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hamra: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Beirut
$495
Hamra
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Beirut
$277
Hamra
$275 0.8% $2.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beirut
$271
Hamra
$274 0.9% $2.4
Eating Out
Beirut
$228
Hamra
$228 0.2% $0.4
Clothing & Footwear
Beirut
$170
Hamra
$169 0.8% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Beirut
$116
Hamra
$20 * 82.7% $96
Getting Around
Beirut
$98
Hamra
$17 * 83.1% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68 in Beirut vs $68 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $275, with Hamra cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Beirut
🇱🇧 Hamra
🕒 Local time
19:39 7:39 PM
19:39 7:39 PM
Same time as Beirut
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,916,100 Capital
1,251,739
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,632 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beirut Hamra 2 km
From you
  • Beirut
  • Hamra

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Beirut vs Hamra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamra cheaper than Beirut?
Hamra is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,485 in Beirut and $1,474 in Hamra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $677 in Beirut versus $689 in Hamra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
What are total monthly expenses in Beirut and in Hamra?
All in, you’ll spend $1,657 per month in Beirut versus $982 in Hamra – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Beirut or in Hamra?
At $982 in Hamra versus $1,657 in Beirut, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Beirut or in Hamra?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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